by Jen Turano
“I bet she did grum . . .” Eliza’s words died on her tongue as the sound of rushing feet met her ears. A feeling of dread swept over her when one of the guards burst into the room and stumbled to a stop.
“The children are gone.”
21
Chaos erupted as everyone bolted for the back door and raced into the garden.
“They went over the wall,” Miss Jamison yelled from her position on the ground, a guard bending over her.
Hamilton spun in midstride and ran for the wall, Zayne a step behind him. Eliza reached the wall before either of them and took a running leap, but failed to get over the wall when an arm snagged her around the waist. She was pulled to the ground and turned to find Hamilton shaking his head at her.
“You can’t come,” he rasped as Zayne cleared the wall and disappeared over the side.
“I can help,” she sobbed.
“Eliza, please, there isn’t much time.” The despair and panic in Hamilton’s eyes brought Eliza up short. His children had been snatched, and he couldn’t waste precious time arguing with her. She gave him a short jerk of her head.
“Summon Theodore,” he said before he jumped over the wall.
Eliza simply stood there for a moment, her mind completely numb. She blinked when Grayson sprinted past her and dove over the wall, his action breaking through her stupor. She took a deep breath, wiped the tears off her cheeks, and set her sights on Gloria, who was bending over Miss Jamison. She managed to take all of three steps before she was jerked to a stop, one of the guards holding on to her arm.
She narrowed her eyes. “What are you still doing here?”
“My orders were to protect you. I need to get you out of the open.”
“I don’t need protection,” she snapped. “Piper and Ben are babies. You should be searching for them.” She shrugged out of his hold and continued over to Miss Jamison, kneeling by the poor woman’s side. “Are you hurt?”
Miss Jamison struggled to a sitting position, raising a shaky hand to her head. “They just appeared out of nowhere,” she said. “One minute the yard was empty, and the next, it was filled with men. I was knocked off my feet and the guards were attacked.”
Eliza lifted her gaze and realized there were two men lying on the ground, one of the remaining guards bending over them.
“They’re not dead, are they?” she called.
“Just knocked out, Lady Eliza. I’ve sent one of the servants to summon a physician.”
Eliza nodded and turned back to Miss Jamison. “What happened next?”
“Two men snatched Piper and Ben and took them over the wall. It was as if they’d been waiting for us. I couldn’t stop them.” Tears ran unchecked down Miss Jamison’s face.
“Of course you couldn’t stop them,” Eliza said. “You were decidedly outnumbered, and we’re fortunate you weren’t seriously harmed. Do you remember how many men there were?”
“I think there were seven, maybe eight. It all happened so quickly.”
“Hired thugs, from the sound of it,” Agatha said, dropping down beside Eliza. “Did you hear them say anything?”
“No, but one of them did leave a note. He dropped it on top of me before rushing away. I gave it to that man over there.”
Eliza lifted her head and settled her attention on a guard who was speaking with another man a short distance away, a piece of paper in his hand. She scrambled to her feet and rushed over to them.
“What does it say?” she demanded.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t divulge the contents to you. You might compromise the situation.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“You’re mentioned.”
Eliza held out her hand and waited impatiently as the guards exchanged looks.
“You’ll need to wait until Mr. Wilder arrives,” one of the guards said, stuffing the note into an inside pocket of his jacket.
“I’m not above retrieving that,” Eliza snapped.
“Eliza,” Theodore called as he ran across the lawn to join her. “I got here as quickly as I could. I was on my way here when one of my men ran into me.” He skidded to a stop and eyed her warily. “What are you doing?”
“I’m contemplating bodily harm because your man won’t allow me to read a note the abductors left.”
Theodore swung his attention to the guard and arched a brow.
“We thought it best to withhold the information from her.” The man retrieved the note and passed it to Theodore, who read it quickly and released a sigh.
“Is it from Eugene?” Eliza asked.
“And Sally,” Theodore admitted.
“They want me?”
Theodore shook his head. “They want the contents from the two chests.”
“What chests?” Lawrence asked, coming to a stop by Eliza’s side, his breathing once again labored.
“The chests that contain part of my fortune,” Eliza replied absently. “They can have it.”
“Eliza,” Lawrence gasped, “you can’t simply hand over your money to a bunch of criminals.”
“Of course I can,” Eliza said, her temper flaring when Lawrence stepped in front of her, causing her to brush past him in order to speak to Theodore. “How do we get the money to them?”
Theodore frowned. “Eliza, I know you’re distraught at the moment, but I must point out that it’s not always wise to give in to these types of demands. There’s no guarantee they’ll return Piper and Ben after they receive the ransom.”
“Now, there is sound advice,” Lawrence proclaimed, earning a glare from Eliza before she looked back at Theodore.
“They won’t hurt them,” Eliza said. “Sally always had a soft spot for children, and I can’t see her allowing Eugene to discard Piper and Ben.”
“Are you certain you want to go through with this?” Theodore asked.
“I’ll do whatever it takes to get the children home.”
“Are the chests at the bank?” Theodore asked.
“No, they’re in Hamilton’s safe. At least, one chest is. We combined the contents because I thought it would be easier to take one chest back to England rather than two.” She spun and headed for the house. “Are you coming?” she asked over her shoulder.
“Don’t we need to wait for Hamilton to get into the safe?” Theodore asked.
“Hamilton gave me the combination,” she said.
“It seems you are far too familiar with Mr. Beckett,” Lawrence sputtered.
“It’s none of your concern how ‘familiar’ I am with Hamilton,” Eliza returned as she set her feet to motion and ran toward the house, Theodore running beside her. Agatha met them at the door.
“Where are you going?” Agatha asked.
“To get into Hamilton’s safe,” Eliza said. “It’s in his room.”
“How do you know that?” Agatha asked.
“I’ve been in there. And yes, Gloria acted as chaperone when Hamilton showed the safe to me.”
Eliza dashed through the main floor and hurried up the steps, making her way down the hallway and then into Hamilton’s room. She moved to the wall, shoved aside the board that blended into the wood, and then made short shrift of unlocking the safe and pulling the door open. She turned and gestured to Theodore. “I’m going to need a hand with this.”
Theodore motioned Eliza out of the way and grabbed the handle of the chest, releasing a grunt as he heaved and pulled the chest free of the safe. “I have no idea how you’re going to get this back to England, even if you do have guards traveling with you. It’s bound to draw attention.”
“She wouldn’t even have thought about going back to England if you hadn’t put the idea in her head,” Agatha grouched.
Theodore narrowed his eyes. “If you will recall, Miss Watson, England is her home, and I was only concerned with keeping her safe. By the clear disgruntlement in your voice, may I assume you have doubts regarding that decision?”
“She’s only taking your advice to run away from Hamilton
,” Agatha replied with a sniff. “It really has nothing to do with her safety.”
Theodore’s eyes widened. “I do beg your pardon, Eliza. I did not realize you had affection for Hamilton, although, I can certainly understand why you’d want to flee. Love is a fickle creature, and Hamilton is a brooding sort. I would run too.”
“Hamilton is not brooding,” Eliza argued, “and I’m not running away.”
Theodore sent her one of his condescending smiles. “Aren’t you?”
Why in the world was she even arguing with the man? It was clear he possessed the emotional range of a wet mop, and besides, she’d actually been reconsidering the whole departing-the-country business. Before she could formulate a suitable reply, Hamilton suddenly rushed into the room, Zayne right behind him.
“Any sign of the children?” Eliza questioned, finding the answer in Hamilton’s face.
“We lost them,” Hamilton said. “There were horses waiting beyond the wall, and the men dispersed in all directions. Our men are still searching the streets, but Zayne, your brother, and I thought it best to return home to see if there was any news.”
“Eugene left a note,” Eliza explained. “He’s demanded the chest.”
“He wants your money?” Hamilton questioned, his gaze flickering to the chest resting on the floor.
Eliza nodded. “He can have it.”
“I don’t think I can allow you to do that,” Hamilton said slowly.
“I don’t see why not,” she replied, grabbing on to the handle as she nodded to Theodore. “We’re wasting time.” She straightened when Theodore made no move to assist her. “What?”
“There’s a huge amount of money in that chest,” Hamilton said.
“Do you honestly think I care?”
“They are not your children,” he said softly.
“They’re as good as.”
Hamilton moved so quickly Eliza didn’t have a moment to draw a breath. One minute she was standing next to the chest, and the next, she was firmly enveloped in Hamilton’s arms, his strength engulfing her.
“I don’t know what I did to deserve you,” he whispered into her hair, his voice raspy. “I don’t want you to leave me when this is done.”
Eliza felt him stroke her hair as his warmth surrounded her, and she drew comfort from his closeness. “I’m not going anywhere,” she finally whispered into his shirt.
“I say, Mr. Beckett, this is beyond reproach,” Lawrence raged as he stalked into the room. “I demand you release my fiancée at once.”
Eliza felt Hamilton stiffen, but instead of releasing her, he shifted her to his side and kept his arm around her waist before he swung his attention to Lawrence. “She isn’t your fiancée.”
“She will soon be my wife once we return to England.”
“Over my dead body,” Hamilton bit out.
“Gentlemen,” Zayne interrupted, casually insinuating himself between Hamilton and Lawrence, “while this is a riveting conversation to be sure, we have a bit of a crisis at the moment, and I must insist you cease this argument until a more appropriate time. We have to keep our attention centered on finding Ben and Piper.”
“You’re right, of course, Zayne. I apologize. I fear my anxiety has gotten the best of me,” Hamilton said with a nod in Lawrence’s direction.
“Too right it has,” Lawrence replied with a sniff.
“Are you certain about the chest?” Hamilton asked.
Eliza nodded. “I’ve never been more certain about anything in my entire life.”
Hamilton brushed her cheek ever so softly with his finger before he moved away from her and looked at Theodore. “Where do they want the chest delivered?”
“At an abandoned warehouse up north,” Theodore said. “We have three hours to get it there, and Eugene demanded we not bring extra men, not that we’ll pay attention to that part of the note. I’ll send men ahead of us to discreetly watch the area and hopefully track Eugene back to the children once he picks up the chest.”
“Won’t that increase the danger for the children?” Eliza asked.
“We can’t neglect this opportunity. It may be the only chance we have of recovering Piper and Ben,” Theodore said.
“You will keep an eye on the money?” Lawrence asked.
“I don’t care about the money,” Eliza snapped.
“We’ll still try to retrieve it, Eliza,” Theodore said. “You wouldn’t want these criminals to benefit from their deed, would you?”
“I don’t want anyone putting themselves in danger over that chest,” Eliza stated. “If we get Piper and Ben back, and Eugene and Sally end up with my money, it won’t bother me in the least.”
“You really are an incredible woman,” Hamilton said.
Eliza resisted the urge to melt into a puddle at his feet. Her emotions were swirling every which way, and yet she knew now was not the time to sort through them. Nothing was settled between them, but that would have to wait until Piper and Ben were returned. She released a breath. “I’m not that incredible, Hamilton. I’ve simply come to realize there is something more important in life than money.”
“We’re going to have a long discussion when this is over,” Hamilton promised.
Eliza smiled. “I imagine we will.”
Zayne cleared his throat. “Shouldn’t we be off?”
Hamilton nodded before he looked at Theodore. “Zayne and I will accompany you?”
“Certainly,” Theodore agreed before he glanced at Eliza and Agatha. “You two need to stay here.”
“We could be of assistance,” Agatha said.
“There is no place for women in a situation like this,” Theodore said.
Agatha opened her mouth to argue, but Eliza interrupted what she knew would be a lengthy tirade. “Agatha, we need to let them get on their way. Piper and Ben are out there, scared and alone, and we will be a comfort to Gloria if we stay.”
“I’ll feel better knowing you won’t be in danger,” Hamilton added.
“I don’t believe I’m personally in danger; they don’t want me, just my money. It does seem to be a recurring circumstance in my life,” Eliza added with a pointed look to Lawrence.
“I don’t want your money,” Hamilton said. “In fact, I’ll do my best to return the exact amount you’re handing over, if we’re unsuccessful in reclaiming your chest. I simply don’t have enough time at the moment to convert the money from my accounts.”
“You’re that wealthy?” Lawrence questioned.
“I might not have as much total wealth as Eliza, but I can cover what’s in that chest.”
“And we have your word on that?”
“Lawrence, enough about the money,” Eliza said. “It’s not as if it’s my entire fortune. I have more money in my accounts, although I do plan on sharing it with Grayson and my cousins.”
“Your brother has no need of your funds,” Lawrence scoffed. “From what I learned back in England, the man is one of the richest in the country.”
“Thank you, Lawrence, for spreading that personal information around,” Grayson remarked as he entered the room. “Gloria is waiting for everyone in the parlor, and I told her I’d come fetch you.” He sent Eliza a small smile before turning to Lawrence. “What say you and I return to the hotel for a bit? I need to check on my daughter, and you need some time away from my sister.” Not giving Lawrence an opportunity to reply, Grayson took him by the arm and hurried him out of the room.
It was lovely to have a big brother again.
“Let’s go,” Theodore said as he took hold of one side of the chest and Zayne took hold of the other before they struggled out of the room.
“You’ll keep an eye on my mother?” Hamilton asked softly.
Eliza nodded, fighting back the tears she would not allow Hamilton to see.
“Thank you,” Hamilton said, surprising her by pulling her into his arms and holding her tightly.
“You’ll stay safe?” she managed to ask once he released her.
“Coming?” Agatha asked from the doorway.
“I’ll be there in a minute. I just need a few moments to myself.”
Agatha nodded and left the room, closing the door behind her.
Eliza moved to the window and stood there for a moment, watching Hamilton and Theodore wrestle the heavy chest into a waiting carriage. She leaned her forehead against the glass and felt tears slip down her cheeks as the carriage pulled away and then disappeared from view.
Her thoughts were jumbled and confused as she tried to reason everything out. How could this have happened? How could God allow children to be taken? Anger began to burn through her as she stalked over to a chair and sat down.
Images of Piper and Ben whirled through her mind, her thoughts becoming more and more tangled. She dropped her head into her hands.
“I don’t know what to do,” she said out loud.
Trust.
She lifted her head and peered around the room.
“Trust?” she whispered, brushing the tears from her face. Was it honestly as simple as that? She thought of Agatha’s remark concerning how fortunate she’d been to have her money stolen from her. It had forced her out of her pampered, privileged life, and it had forced her to acknowledge the fact that Lawrence was hardly a man who could make her happy.
Had it been God’s plan all along? Had He created a way to allow her to become a better person? Had He given her an opportunity to discover love?
She blinked.
“Do I love Hamilton?” she asked the room, straining her ears to hear a response, while already knowing the answer. The room remained silent and she blew out a breath.
“This is a ridiculous conversation,” she muttered, getting to her feet. “You sound like a crazy woman talking to yourself.”
Trust.
“Stop it,” she whispered, rubbing her forehead with her hand. The word kept tumbling around and around her mind until it changed.
Trust in me.
She looked up at the ceiling. “Are you trying to tell me something?”
Silence met her question. She sighed, took a deep breath, and bowed her head.
“Please, God, help me. I know I have not trusted you for a very long time. I’ve suffered disappointments and heartache, and I’ve wrongly blamed you. I know I have no right to ask anything of you, but I desperately need your help, and I want to believe in you and all the grace you give. Please, show me what to do.”